The US F-22 stealth plane crashed on landing in Florida, but the extent of the damage is unknown.
Captain Sarah Johnson, spokeswoman for the Air Force’s 325th Fighter Wing America, yesterday confirmed that the F-22 stealth fighter had problems landing at Eglin Air Base in Florida. No one was injured in the incident.
“The pilot is still in good condition and has been discharged from hospital following a medical,” Captain Johnson said, but declined to disclose the cause of the incident or the extent of the damage to the plane.
An F-22 fighter plane glides down the runway in this photo published on March 22. Photo: Air Force Time.
Photos shared on social media showed the F-22 collapsing on the left main arm, while the nose and part of the belly of the plane rested on the grass on the side of the runway. The plane appeared to collapse on landing, lost control and went off the runway.
The American F-22 had problems with the landing gear many times. Last year, the U.S. Air Force Airborne Operations Command inspected the entire F-22 fleet at Eglin base and 10% of F-22 fighters at other bases, concluding at least one-fifth. The aircraft experienced problems with the landing gear due to incorrect installation procedures.
Nearly 40 of the 190 F-22 fighters in the US Air Force had to be repaired because of this problem. The US Air Force will also spend more than $600,000 by 2021 on incidents related to the F-22 fighter, according to data from the Center for Air Security.
The US operates a total of 186 F-22 fighters, but only 125 are capable of combat. The remainder is used for testing missions or training new pilots, due to a lack of equipment and software used in combat. Each F-22 fighter has a factory price of nearly 180 million USD, excluding weapons and equipment.
Vu Anh (Based on Air Force Time)
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